Overcoming Barriers and Expanding Voter Access Panel

posted by ADA SEPA | 5sc

Nearly 50 years later, the battle over voting rights still rages on. While Philadelphia voter turnout was a dismal 9% in the 2013 Primary there are efforts underway that would further hinder free and open access to the ballot place, crucial to our democratic system of government. Nationally, the United States Supreme Court struck down a section of the Voting Rights Act.

In the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, legislators enacted a photo ID law that places onerous restrictions on the right to vote. Yet, at the same time, two thirds of all States have enacted early voting initiatives and one third of all States have enacted electronic registration to make it easier for voters to exercise their rights to vote.

Join us, the Americans for Democratic Action, Southeastern Pennsylvania Chapter, for a discussion of the state of suffrage today and what we can do locally to overcome barriers and enfranchise our electorate.

There is an accessible entrance to the Ethical Society on Manning Street between 19th and 20th Streets.

Panelists:

Jennifer Clarke, Public Interest Law Center of Philadelphia

John Jordan, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People